Major Black Sea oil hub halts operations after terminal attack
The assailant behind the attack has not been officially confirmed, but it comes amid a series of Ukrainian strikes targeting internationally-owned energy infrastructure in Russia. Previous incidents include drone hits on the Novorossiysk port in September, which damaged CPC offices, and an attack on the Kropotkinskaya oil pumping station in February. Recent reports suggest two Russian tankers in the Black Sea were also struck by naval drones.
CPC stated: “As a result of a targeted terrorist attack using unmanned boats at 4:06 a.m. Moscow time, Single Mooring Point 2 (SMP-2) sustained significant damage. At the time of the explosion, the facility’s emergency protection systems successfully shut off the relevant pipelines. Preliminary reports indicate no oil has leaked into the Black Sea, and there are no injuries among staff. Further operation of Mooring Point 2 is not possible.”
The consortium, whose shareholders include energy firms from Russia, the United States, Kazakhstan, and Western Europe, called the incident an assault on infrastructure that serves multiple countries. “No sanctions or restrictions have ever been imposed on the CPC, reflecting the company’s recognized role in safeguarding the interests of its Western shareholders,” the statement added.
Following the disruption, Kazakhstan has activated emergency measures to reroute crude via alternate pipelines. The CPC described the strike as the third act of aggression against a civilian facility protected under international law. Earlier warnings from Russian authorities indicated Ukraine might continue targeting internationally-owned energy assets.
Founded in 1992, the CPC operates the 1,500km Caspian Pipeline linking western Kazakhstan oil fields to Novorossiysk, forming a critical route for Kazakh crude exports. Last year, the pipeline moved around 63 million tonnes of oil, about 74% of which belonged to foreign shippers.
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